Keeping the wife happy

[mack]

[hamjam]

very nice ( those are the words i use on a family channel) and especially aprove of the Gary Moore i think i sent you our version ?

[dbbrian]

Thanx for the kind words. It took me three summers to complete it. In the winter I was restoring the xs’s so I was able to save some money to put toward the next phase of the deck. The largest expense was the fastners not the wood. I used all “simpson strong tie” at posts and beams and joist hangers, stirups etc.. The built up beams were done in the usual fashion with 3 ½ inch spiral zinc dipped nails. The pressure treatment had changed a couple years prior to my starting so the required screws had to be ceramic. I don’t know how many pounds of each I went through but several thousand wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration. I was buying lag bolts and screws by the carton. Concerning the deck boards. I wanted to do it in composite but it was 3 times more expensive than pressure treated for the surface, the hidden fastener system was just way out of this world. So I handpicked the deck boards discarding anything that wasn’t vertical end grain to avoid cupping. Thinking into the future I knew that I would resurface it with composite someday, so I covered all the load bearing members with tar paper to ensure that they will be pristine ten years down the road. In the mean time I go out every spring with a wagner power painter filled with “Thompsons water Seal” and spray it down. Takes a couple hours once a year and it still looks like the day I put the deck down. It has turned grey of course but the deck itself is great. DBBrian. In my mind it’s a basic deck, I could have made it fancy but optioned for function over aesthetics. I have three daughters and they all have their friends over so I needed three separate gathering area’s (one being the pool itself) and a dance floor area. With girls of different ages there is a whole”my friends can’t associate with your friends” thing that happens. So I wired the deck for power as well as sound and light so the older kids could swim to music after dark, while the littler ones roasted marsh mellows and hot dogs at the camp fire after swimming. I’ve had grad parties here, my high school reunion and every summer the neighborhood BBQ is held here. The most people I’ve had at one time was about 230. It’s nice when a group of kids come over just to swim, not any of mine but just kids from down the road. The parents bring them on hot days and sit under the gazebos in the shade and watch their own kids while I’m out riding or cutting the grass. We are way out in the country so my place became the closest thing to party central for 15 miles in any direction. I just leave the doors unlocked and pop and juice is stocked in a fridge in the garage. Everyone refers to it as "MAX Villa", LOL.

Happy Wife, no doubt. Father of the Decade - for certain

[mack]

Funny thing

I went overboard to please her but she left me anyway. Hated the bees, bats, and other bugs, mice and a host of other things. She was a city girl and well... I wasn't . I like all of the above and love sitting out before dawn and have the crickets song turn to song birds and play Bach and have the deer walk up and eat out of my hand while I have a coffee. I love the night sky giving away to day and watching the planets' fade each morning . To each their own. I did all I could, but she wouldn't even get on the back of an xs even though they were like new condition. Had to change my priorities, so I chose the bike and nature. They last longer.

[3Phase]

On the bright side, you could have sold the bikes to make her happy before she left anyway, then you''d have no bikes!

[donebysunday]

Marvelous

just awesome layout !
Can I ask you for tips when I replace my aging deck ? ? ?

[mack]

Happy

Ya Scott, you have to draw the line somewhere, that was it for me. That building in the background is my shop. I couldn't live without that.
Sure Sunday anytime.

[mikubuilder]

Impressive! How many sq.feet of deck is this, looks like at least 1500....

[mack]

Nick

3700 square foot with the pool of course!

[cajun31]

Mack

Women... go figure. Doesn't make any difference what you do. Once they make up their mind that's it. Mine left me after 30 years. Never really gave me a good reason. Hit me with that line of I love you I am just not in love with you. Makes sense to them I guess. My cousin has stated many times that most of the time they are just looking for a BBD "Bigger Better Deal". I will say in retrospect that I am now far better off without her then I would have been with her. You have an outstanding place there and should be proud and just live life one day at a time. Things get better and what is meant to be will be. I do know that you are a treasure to this site and most everyone on here is appreciative of your participation.

By the way I can relate to the poop about getting old. My saying to everyone that complains about it is getting old ain't for sissies but it for sure as hell beats the alternative. I can also relate to busting the right hand to save the daughter.... been there and done that too.

[neJeff]

Wtf?

I am so confused. This thread started on 5/9/17 and your building a deck and just a few days later she left you?

[mack]

No Jeff

I finished the deck in 2009 when the kids were still in public school. Took me three summers to get it done because I was restoring the SF at the same time. Wasn't until we became empty nesters that she told me she wasn't a country girl and wanted me to sell out and move into the city. The computer that had the pictures crashed and I'd lost all pictures from when I started building the house to finishing the deck. My number 2 daughter's boyfriend asked me about the old computer in the basement and I said take it for parts if you want. He was able to get into the hard drive but could only recover the deck pictures. Thought I'd post them.